Company Profile

Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited (MECL) is functioning under Ministry of Mines, Govt. of India with 100% Government of India holding, for systematic exploration of minerals “To Bridge The Gap Between Initial Discovery of Mineral Prospect and its Eventual Exploitation”. It is the only organisation both in Government and in private sector, possessing entire spectrum of mineral exploration facilities under one roof . Since its inception in 1972, MECL has grown from strength to strength by adopting modern techniques of exploration and it has now emerged as the premier exploration agency in the country. The Company has its corporate office at Nagpur, Maharashtra, with a number of Zonal / Project offices located throughout the length and breadth of the country. The authorised capital is Rs. 125 crores.

Dedicated service of MECL in mineral exploration over three decades has resulted in updating mineral inventory of various minerals manifold and setting up of a number of mineral based industries and Companies in India. Since inception till date, it has completed over 1331 projects of detailed mineral exploration, mine development and 1,56,665 million tonnes of mineral reserves have been established. The exploration inputs are 9.47 million metres of drilling, 3.32 million metres of geophysical logging, 6126 sq.km. of detailed geological mapping and topographical survey and 0.29 million metres of exploratory & developmental mining. Beside this more than 186 projects on remote sensing and environmental studies have also been completed.

The main strength of the company is its team of well-qualified and experienced exploration geologists, geophysicists, analytical chemists, drilling & mining engineers and surveyors supported by highly skilled, trained technical and scientific staff and state-of-art computer facilities.

MECL has made noteworthy contributions in development of the nation by exploration of coal, lignite, base metals, gold, bauxite, limestone etc. and has achieved several distinctions such as ;

Brought India on the world bauxite map by augmenting large metallurgical grade bauxite reserves in East Coast Provinces of India, which was appreciated by World class Players in aluminium industry. This has resulted in creation of National Aluminium Company Ltd. (NALCO), the largest aluminium Company and several investments are in pipeline for greenfield alumina/aluminium plants.

The largest open cast mine for copper at Malanjkhand and rich copper potential of Banwas had turned out to be the lifeline for Hindustan Copper Ltd. (HCL).

With these achievements, a number of foreign companies have joined / are joining hands with MECL to expand their activities in India under the on- going liberalization process in Mineral Industry.

MECL, with the developed infrastructure and expertise, is committed to execute cost and time effective comprehensive programme(s) from reconnaissance survey to pre-feasibility studies on turn key basis. It will “leave no stone unturned” to achieve the goals, singly or in association with suitable strategic partners in the present economic reforms.

MECL has expertise and renders services in the following fields:

Remote Sensing through Satellite Imagery.

Regional and Detailed Geological Mapping.

Topographic and Underground Survey.

Exploratory Drilling upto 2000 metres.

Slim hole Drilling for Coal Bed Methane.

Drilling for Geo-thermal Energy and Geo-technical Studies.

Surface and Borehole Geophysics.

Exploratory Mining / Developmental Mining.

Chemical, Mineralogical and Petrological Analysis.

World Class IT Centre for Mineral Exploration.

Mineral Deposit Assessment & 3-D Ore Body Modelling.

Preparation of Pre-Feasibility Reports.

Geo-technical and Geo-physical studies for Construction industry

BRIEF ON MINERAL EXPLORATION BY MECL

IRON : In the Iron ore sector, MECL has proved 2617 million tonnes of reserves with 49,508 m of drilling and 7062 m of exploratory mining and associated geological work and laboratory studies. The clientele include M/s. SAIL, KIOCL, Dalmia International, Sindhudurg Mining Corporation, Bhilai Steel Plant, NINL, etc. Established the single largest iron ore deposit at Chiria in Jharkhand state, India with 1970 million tonnes of 62.15% Fe.

BAUXITE :MECL has carried out Bauxite exploration during the last three decades in 31 deposits (40 Blocks) with 1,78,038 m of drilling and 12,121 m of mining and associated geological studies in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Kerala, Chattisgargh and Jharkhand. A total of 1277 million tonnes of metallurgical grade bauxite reserves have been established. The clientele are NALCO, BALCO, L& T, Hindalco, DGM (Erst while Bihar), Sterlite, etc.

COPPER :MECL has established 612 million tonnes of copper ore in 61 blocks which are located in the states of Jharkhand, Karnataka, M.P, Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan and Sikkim with 358010 m of drilling, 20764 m of exploratory mining and other geological work. On the basis of MECL’s work, largest open cast mine at Malanjkhand and rich copper potential of Banwas had turned out to be the lifeline for HCL.

LEAD & ZINC :MECL has carried out exploration in 29 projects involving 112285 m of drilling, 16025 m of mining and 176 million tonnes of reserves were established in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttaranchal and West Bengal. Noteworthy, amongst the promising lead zinc prospects explored by MECL in the recent past is the one at Kayar in Ajmer District, Rajasthan, wherein 10.14 million tonnes of ore reserves with 2.66 % Pb and 14.89% Zn were established.

GOLD :MECL has explored 42 blocks/ deposits of Gold in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Jharkhand and Kerala states & proved 45.35 million tonnes of reserves through 136350 m of drilling & 27951 m of mining and associated geological work. The underground gold mining at Chigargunta by erstwhile BGML and open cast mine at Uti by HGML have been developed on the basis of MECL data. The gold deposit at Dona in Kurnool Dist. of Andhra Pradesh was explored in detail by MECL which resulted in establishing 7.77 million tonnes of reserves containing more than 2 grams per tonne of gold.

COAL :MECL has carried out coal exploration in over 879 blocks in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalya, Nagaland, Orissa, Sikkim and West Bengal. A total of 4624325 m of drilling and 42112 m of mining & associated geological work have resulted in proving of 95109 million tonnes of coking and non coking coal reserves.

LIGNITE :The exploration carried out by MECL in the states of Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu has established 36,933 million tonnes of lignite reserves through 15,99,630 m of drilling and 879 m of mining was done. The recent finding of vast lignite reserves at Riri in Bikaner, Rajasthan won the National Mineral Award for the Scientists of MECL.

COAL BED METHANE (CBM) :MECL has emerged as the leading agency in slim hole drilling for CBM and is currently planning to provide services for production well drilling for CBM. It is engaged in CBM investigation for the last 10 years and has successfully completed investigation on behalf of agencies namely GAIL, ONGC, GEECL, DGH - TIDCO, DOP, Rajasthan, CMPDIL and Ministry of Coal. So far it has completed over 68,319 m of slim hole drilling in over 50 Nos. of boreholes with the deepest hole being of 1400 metres in Gondwana Formation, Jharia Coalfield.

OIL SHALE :MECL along with BRGM France have on behalf of Directorate General of Hydrocarbons, Govt. of India has completed successfully the studies for resource estimation in respect of syncrude oil potential in oil shale deposits in parts of Assam & Arunachal Pradesh.

SALT :MECL has completed successfully the exploration for identification of salt caverns in Bikaner area, a prestigious project of M/s. ONGC. This is a specialized job undertaken wherein a total of 3136 m of drilling was carried out with a deepest borehole of 1032 m.

LIME STONE : MECL has established 2459 million tonnes of SMS & cement grade limestone reserves in 9 deposits in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya and Rajasthan by conducting 29,760 m of drilling and 1880 m of mining.